Posts Tagged ‘history of workers comp’

We’re happy to bring you this 12-minute, must-watch video commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Workers Comp. The video highlights progress in worker safety, treatment of injured workers and risk management in the past 100 years. In addition to telling the history of comp, it also features three visionary women who were instrumental in furthering health and safety of workers…one of whom witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. Until this clip, I did not realize the strong role that women played in this history.
Kudos go to Sedgwick as well as to our colleague and friend Peter Rousmaniere. who wrote the script.
Here’s some additional information about the women highlighted in the video clip:Crystal EastmanFrances PerkinsAlice Hamilton MD

Feeling risky? Catch up on your reading – Jaan Sidorov of The Disease Management Care Blog hosts this week’s risky roundup: The 124th Cavalcade of RiskWork Comp history
Yesterday, we posted a feature on window washers as a dangerous profession, which included some vintage photos of workers pre-OSHA. Later, via Complex Care Blog, we were alerted to Peter Rousmaniere’s excellent article in Risk & Insurance, Into the Work Killing Ground, which turned the clock back even further. Peter offers a fascinating and chilling glimpse into what the working world was like at the start of the last century, before workers compensation laws had been enacted. He notes that, “The fatality rate at the time, if transposed to today’s population, would exceed 300,000 deaths a year. Our rate was twice as high as England’s.” He talks about one young attorney, Crystal Eastman, who began documenting injuries and fatalities just in the Pittsburgh area alone. Her report became a catalyst for the ensuing law. If, like me, you didn’t know about her contribution to workers’ comp, you can learn more about Crystal Eastman at Wikipedia.

Workers comp is 100 years old this year and by way of Roberto Ceniceros’ informative blog Comp Time, we learn that there is a Workers’ Compensation Centennial Commission (WCCC), which was formed to celebrate the anniversary of the first constitutional workers’ compensation law in the United States. The WCCC was organized by a bi-partisan coalition of Wisconsin-based labor and government leaders, which is reaching out to other states to commemorate the anniversary of the landmark legislation. It’s pretty appropriate that this initiative is kicking off in Wisconsin because that was the state where the first state workers’ compensation law was signed on May 3, 1911.
The WCCC site has collected some really interesting resources, including a photo gallery and various historical documents. And one of the centerpieces of the collection is a terrific 10-minute video that was created by students from Nimitz High in Houston Texas for the 2008 National History Day.